Ametop Anesthetic Gel More Effective Than EMLA

[Guest guest]

Ametop Anesthetic Gel More Effective Than EMLA for Venepuncture in

Children

http://pediatrics.medscape.com/reuters/prof/2000/04/04.27/20000427clin001.html

WESTPORT, Apr 27 (Reuters Health) - Although both eutectic mixture of

local

anesthetics (EMLA) and Ametop gel are effective topical anesthetics for

venous

cannulation in children, Ametop gel is more effective.

Dr. J. Arrowsmith, of the Leicester Royal Infirmary, UK, and colleagues

report in

the April issue of the Archives of Disease in Childhood that they

conducted a

single-blind study of 120 children, ages 1 to 15 years, randomly

assigned to receive

either EMLA cream or Ametop gel prior to venous cannulation.

While both topical anesthetics were effective, " 72% of children in the

Ametop group

exhibited either no response or a mild facial grimace on cannulation

compared with

55% of children in the EMLA group. Overall, the children in the Ametop

group

showed significantly less pain than the EMLA group, " the authors report.

Although previous comparative studies of the two topical anesthetics in

adults

showed no statistical difference between the two, the researchers found

that " when

applied to children, for a time shorter than that recommended for EMLA,

Ametop

gel appeared to provide superior anaesthesia. "

The results of this study confirm previous reports of the greater

effectiveness of

Ametop gel for children undergoing venous cannulation, the researchers

note.

Arch Dis Child 2000;82:309-310.